


That Would Be Enough

by FrozenHearts



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Advice, Background Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Background Relationships, Blondes In Love, Canon Compliant, Character Study, Cole Likes To Help, Cole and Raziel are friends, Do ghosts exist in the Shadowhunters universe?, Episode Related, Episode Tag, Episode: s01e12 Malec, F/M, Falling In Love, Fear, Friendship, Gen, Ghosts, Help, Helpful Cole (Dragon Age), Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Introspection, Jace is in love, Jalydia - Freeform, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Mentioned Alec Lightwood, Mentioned John Monteverde, Mentioned Magnus Bane - Freeform, Mentioned Raziel, Now they do, Post-Episode: s01e12 Malec, Pre-Relationship, Pseudo-Therapy, Rare Pairings, Relationship Advice, Sad, Spirit Cole (Dragon Age), Understanding, Weddings, reading minds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-12 13:17:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9073519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenHearts/pseuds/FrozenHearts
Summary: Lydia knows she should get over the botched wedding attempt, and receives help from an unlikely source.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fanetjuh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanetjuh/gifts).



> Beta'd by aleclightwodisbetterthanyou
> 
> My recipient wanted something domestic(ish) and a crossover, so I hope this satisfies the request somewhat! For anyone who hasn't played Dragon Age, Cole is a character who is not quite spirit, but not quite human or demon either. He isn't really much of anything, and he is also a hedge mage, with the power to make people forget he exists. He also reads minds, and only wants to help people, so I hope I helped explain enough, but you can always go to the BioWare website or the Dragon Age wiki for more information. 
> 
> The games are similar to Game of Thrones and are high fantasy, since GoT was mentioned as one of the ideas for a prompt but I don't know much about GoT unfortunately.

It was after the miserable excuse for a wedding that Cole felt it. The woman at the altar was happy, the mere feeling washing over her, shining from her being as bright as the sun. Cole felt if he looked any longer he would burn his eyes, but at the moment, he didn't care. He kept watching, even if no one could see him. Even if no one could speak with him or hear him. Or anything.

The man she was about to marry was not happy, on the other hand. He was downright abhorrent of the whole situation. Cole frowned. Were weddings not a happy occasion? If he remembered correctly, weddings were a sign of new beginnings, starting over in life to help make one another truly happy. Pursing his lips, Cole delved into the boy's mind.

Despair. Hopelessness.... it was dark, twisting spirals that consumed him until Cole thought the young man would burst. His thoughts ran a mile a minute, hopping from a sense of duty to those of personal hell, the desire to just end it, to run right there and possibly disgrace himself and his family all for his own happiness. Cole understood what he wanted was not conventional, and he could see the agony written clearly on his face, although others obviously have mistaken it for nerves and cold feet.

And then the boy was leaving the altar, and Cole turned back to the woman to see the bright light fading, questions of what she did wrong again lingering at the front of her mind, bitter and resentful- yet she was remorseful. As if she knew this would happen, like this was her fault. Shock attacked Cole from all sides of teh chapel, and while he felt the same rush of excitement the groom did as he kissed another man, he also felt the crushing agony weighing heavy on the bride's heart.

He didn't miss the sense of longing, however, that spiked somewhere in the corner of the room. Craning his head over the crowd, he could see a blond boy casting glances between the bride and groom, ecstatic and yet disappointed. Hmmm.

Cole decided he could work with this, disappearing quietly as the guests gave in to the uproar and chaos around them.

\-----

Lydia felt wrong, after the wedding. In a way, she knew she shouldn't have gone through with it in the first place, as she had said time and time again that the wedding was merely a political move; there was no love for either party involved. Respect? Sure, there was plenty respect. Alec was one of the most formidable fighters in the Institution, and the most interesting considering his weapon of choice: a bow and arrow. Most Shadowhunters preferred to use a Seraph blade, but Alec liked to fight from a distance, keep an eye to see if anyone might need help from afar on the battlefield.

She felt the tears dot the corners of her eyes as she sat in the parlor of the Institute. There wasn't any reason why she should be crying- it had been a while since Mark had passed, but now the sting was fresh. This was the second time she would be pitied, and she hated it. But she knew it was wrong- if she went through with the wedding, she'd be taking away not only her own happiness, but Alec's as well. They'd be-

"-okay there?"

Lydia picked her head up to see Jace standing there, arms crossed as he hunched forward. He was looking at her curiously, his blond hair slick with sweat as he pushed it away from his face. He must have been training just now, she realized. His sweatshirt was damp under the armpits and he fidgeted with the drawstring on the collar.

"Excuse me?" Lydia wiped at her eyes furiously, straightening her back as Jace looked down at her.

"I, uh, just wanted to see how you were doing," Jace managed to get out, and for a second, Lydia thought he might be nervous- why? Since meeting Jace, he had come off as exuberant and confident (if not a little cocky, but each to their own, as the saying went.) He was the epitome of what a Shadowhunter should be and more.

"Oh..." Lydia gave him a small smile, "I, uh... I'm doing okay."

Jace returned her small smile, ducking his head as he chuckled, "Right. Wouldn't expect any less from you."

Lydia frowned. What was that supposed to mean? Before she could say anything, however, Jace had muttered something unintelligible and stalked off, shaking his head and mumbling under his breath. Huh. That was.... unexpected.

"I can tell."

Lydia jumped at the voice, looking around to pinpoint where it came from. It sounded as if it arrived at her left, but when she looked, no one was there. Her Seraph blade sat on the steps beside her, glinting invitingly under the lights in the parlor.

"I apologize for startling you," the voice came from her right, and Lydia glanced to see nothing but empty air yet again.

Okay, now she was starting to get angry. Swiping her blade from the floor, she stood up, widening her stance as she demanded, "Show yourself in the name of Raziel!"

Lydia felt herself shiver at the oddly innocent chuckle hanging in the air, her braid falling over her shoulder as she spun in place, desperate to find the source of the noise-

-and swinging her Seraph blade towards the face of a young man, almost slicing his nose off entirely.

"By the Angel!" Lydia exclaimed, knuckles turning white as she tightened her grip, "H-how did you get in here? Answer me!"

The man smiled sadly, his blue-green eyes full of pain and pity. His hat obscured his face as he hung his head, shoulders sagging heavily. Lydia noted that he wasn't wearing the regular Shadowhunter garb, he had no black clothes or runes etched into his frighteningly pale skin. As the man wrung his hands, Lydia saw how slender his fingers were, bony and long.

"Raziel lets me in sometimes," he finally said after Lydia nudged her blade towards the lip of his hat. "Said it'd be a way for me to help. Watching his children."

Lydia lowered her weapon a fraction, tempted to just call the guards and be done with this, "No Shadowhunter has seen Raziel and lived. No Downworlder either."

The man nodded, "Yes, yes, he told me. But I am neither."

Lydia scoffed, "That isn't true. You must be at least mundane. And even then, you'd perish at the sight right away."

The man sighed, "It's okay. I know you're hurting. Raziel sent me."

Again, Lydia found herself wanting to find the nearest guard. This couldn't be true. It just couldn't- she had heard stories of anyone gazing upon Raziel's corporeal form, combusting immediately on site. She heard how people went blind or mad, but this man, as he inspected the seraph blade with a child-like curiosity, seemed to be neither blind nor mad. Just.... sad. Upset. If John were here, he'd probably know what to do. He'd be able to comfort her like he normally did and shower her with assurance and affection.

"That may be true," the man said, "and he'd be proud of you for how you're handling yourself now. Kisses in the dark, hands warm and calloused- beating hearts and the panic in battle. No-" the man adopted a sort of faraway look as he rambled, "-gone. He is gone but he loved. He loved blonde hair and brown eyes and he loved so fully that she consumed his every waking thought. Confidence and happiness and strength- all of it.

Lydia blinked. Faltering, she stumbled back until she sat herself down blade clattering to the floor. She felt herself begin to tremble, eyes widening at the man in front of her. It couldn't be. No, no.... she didn't want this to happen. Whatever "this" was, Lydia couldn't even wrap her head around this- nor that she hadn't called the guards like she normally would.

"Raziel sent me," the man crouched in front of her. His face was still partially hidden by his ridiculous hat, "and he sent me with a message from your John."

Lydia shook her head, "No. That isn't possible, John is dead. He has been for a few years now."

The man nodded, "Indeed he has. But he doesn't mind. He gets to see you grow every day. Raziel, however, was beginning to worry."

"What do you mean?" Lydia's heart beat rapidly against her ribs, "What do you want? What are you?"

"A spirit," the man said, "a human. A demon. It's up to you, really. But it's true; Raziel sent me to help you."

The response in itself was confusing. This whole thing was confusing. She hadn't heard of spirits existing in their world. Mundanes believed in them to scare their children on holidays, or to explain what they were scared of in the dark. Ghosts to mundanes were warnings, tall tales. But did they exist to Shadowhunters?

"I guess now we do," the man gave her a reassuring smile, "My name is Cole. Or at least, the body I inhabit. I'm not really myself, but nor am I truly Cole."

Lydia pursed her lips, "W-We'll go with Cole for now...."

The spirit- Cole, Lydia corrected herself- nodded, tipping the lip of his hat back to reveal a gaunt face, sunken eyes and hollowed cheeks. He looked as thin as paper, lush lips turned down as he furrowed his brow, "John told me your name. Lydia. It's a nice name."

"Thank you."

Cole nodded, "I saw the wedding. You didn't see me though."

Lydia rested her fists on her knees. She couldn't believe this was happening. But she humored the man, wary of what he might do, might be able to do if his claims were true. "Oh."

"Yes," Cole nodded, "I can see in your mind, and going back to that day, you were so happy. The light was warm. You were happy."

"It was my wedding day," Lydia snorted, despite herself.

Cole shook his head, "It was a farce. The other boy, he was sad. He was stuck- forbidden love, self hatred. Darkness, screaming and berating each day, every waking minute. Pretend, pretend- how long? How long until he is swallowed? Erased from his very person until he is but a shell? Perfection he must be, but true he is not. Not to himself or those around him, his mind poisoned by pressure."

Cole had gained a far-away look again, his eyes glazed over as he spoke. His words were rushed, his hat having fallen off to reveal a mop of messy blond hair on his head. Strands fell in his eyes, and he blinked away the minor annoyance.

"Are you talking about Alec?" Lydia prompted.

"Defender of men, protector of mankind," Cole said, "there is no way to protect what is perceived as lost, nor when man has given up so easily." A pause, and Cole added, "You both did the right thing. The other man can help him be happy. You can be happy too, but you must let go."

Lydia stared at him.

"Alec's brother wants you both to be happy," Cole said, "I could feel it in him, the desire to see you, make sure you were alright."

Lydia found herself grinning. Jace? It didn't sound like him. Arrogant was more his style, showing off his skill and using his looks and charm to get by. Lydia didn't think he'd have a caring bone in his body when they first met, but even as the thought crossed her mind, and Cole's words, she knew she was wrong. As siblings, Jace cared about Alec more than he let on. The two were practically inseparable, as expected from parabatai and brothers.

Okay, so she could see what Cole was saying.

"But why me?" Lydia said, "Jace could have anyone. Why pick me?"

It took a minute for Cole to respond, "Because you are alike. Loss is looming greatly over the both of you. The need to prove yourselves, make those around you proud. A sense of accomplishment. A number of things, really."

"And you saw this?" Lydia asked skeptically, "You..."

"Read his mind? Felt his emotions?" Cole supplied, "Yes, I did. Jace cares about you. He loves you but is too scared to admit it. I sense the notion of being with anyone after John scares you as well."

Lydia nodded. "Terrifying."

"This entire world is terrifying," Cole said, "Sometimes you just need someone to take with you, to help make it less so." Cole smiled, showing off two rows of perfectly white teeth, "Go to Jace. Spend time with him. He'll surprise you."

Slowly, Cole picked up his hate, squashing it against his head. The material was a light brown and ratty; the brim was littered with holes, a few of them sewn shut haphazardly, done with clumsy fingers no doubt. The brief glimpses of skin she had seen as he moved- his neck, his hands, his wrists- none bore the burn of runes. None were puckered and discolored from scars and fighting. As he moved to get up, Lydia thought she could see wisps of green around his lanky form, caressing his face and curling around him. Shielding him, almost.

Shadowhunters couldn't do that. If she asked Magnus, she was sure he'd say even warlocks couldn't do that with their magic either.

"Will I see you around then?" Lydia blurted, jumping to her feet, "Will Raziel send you again? John?"

Cole's eyes were downcast, "John still loves you. But you need to let go. Learn to move on." Cole reached out and placed a hand on her cheek, using his thumb to wipe away a tear- Lydia hadn't realized. When did she start crying?

"Don't cry, my friend," Cole whispered, "love is just another adventure in the grand scheme of life. It's time to start anew."

Lydia nodded, letting the tears stream freely now. She wanted to say something- give thanks, maybe access to the Institute in Idris for the future. She felt almost like she was floating- she was sad, yes, but talking had helped. Seeing Jace for those few minutes helped, but it had been what, an hour? Two? Blinking, she wiped at her cheeks, her fingers coming away with mascara. Then it occurred to her, the reason she had sat down, sobbing like a schoolgirl, feeling sorry for herself:

Who had she just been talking to?

Lydia frowned, sniffing as she wiped the runny makeup from her face. Maybe she'd remember later. For now, she was going to see Jace.

**Author's Note:**

> So I hope this was enjoyable, and I apologize for not really following the rules/posting on time. I had a lot going on, so I wasn't able to do this to the best of my ability, and I apologize for that.


End file.
